


Murder on the dancefloor - (the man with the moves)

by creativitea



Category: Sherlock (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Autistic Sherlock, Bisexual John Watson, Demisexual Sherlock, M/M, dancing anyway, discolock, internalized ableism, possibly eventually balletlock??, tw: internalized ableism
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-12-27
Updated: 2017-01-05
Packaged: 2018-09-12 12:49:53
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,542
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9072412
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/creativitea/pseuds/creativitea
Summary: Title only cuz Sherlock is #killin it on the dancefloor, there will be no murderinvestigations in this AU.





	1. first night out

**Author's Note:**

> written with this fanmix(by me) in mind/playing in the background:  
> https://playmoss.com/en/creativitea/playlist/murder-on-the-dancefloor-johnlock-famix-disco-au

After his recent coming out as bisexual, his friend Mike Stamford (but Stan for short, for reasons he hasn't been ready to share with John yet; though John doesn't really feel like he needs an explanation anyway.) convinces John to join him to the gayclub a friday night.  
Now John is more of a pub-guy, as dancefloors is intimidating. But his same-sex attraction has been scary too, and he's willing to test that floor finally, so in the spirit of that he's willing to go out of his comfortzone. Because going back to hanging with the pubs with homophobic straight guys ogling women in a way he isn't really comfortable with either doesn't feel like an option. It wasn't really a safespace type of comfortzone, but it was the kind of comfort of holding the closetdoors shut so noone could find you in there. But after coming out to himself(and Stamford), being in that atmosphere only makes him realize why he held the doors shut for so long, and it starts to furiate him that he let that get to him and make him unhappy.  
He's a bad dancer though. But with a little alcohol in him, his boundaries are blurrier, and that makes it easier to expand them a little.

While still around the bar, with Stan drinking with him while he's drinking up the courage to approach the scene as more than an observer, he sees the most mesmerizing guy on the dancefloor. There is a lot of grinding going on (not that John is opposed to that, tho) but he's moving unlike them and it's mezmerising. There are a lot of sparkly shirts and glitter here (while John is in some sweater that makes him look like he's planning to have dinner and movie at home alone rather than hanging in a place like this. He doesn't really feel out of place in the same way he did in the pub (though he blended in there perfectly), but he's starting to worry that his lack of style will result in lack of attraction towards him, but Stan tells him "You look like yourself, that will make you attractive to the right guy." and then he adds "...or girl, but I don't think you'd find her here, tho!"  
Stan's starting to take notice he's eyeing one guy on the dancefloor a little more than the others. He gives him one of his cheeky smiles.  
"I knew you'd like him." So that means this guy comes here regularly? John is a little more motivated to come back to this place hearing this. "That's Sherlock."  
"He dances with a lot of guys, but he never really goes home with anyone. So he might be asexual or something? Just a heads up." Stanford already told him this club was really inclusive for several orientations and genders compared to some of the other clubs, which was part of the reason he wanted to bring John here. Didn't want him to have to deal with too much of the problematic sides of the community on his first night _out_.  
But it didn't feel like a turnoff for John, in all honesty. For some reason the only thing he was tempted to do with this guy right now was to dance.  
Which was so out of character for him, but he decided after finishing his drink, he'd approach him for a dance. John knew he would look so uncordinated next to someone like him but he just wanted to see him up close. Stan could tell he hadn't lost his interest, John could tell he was aware by the knowing smile, but a friend who could actually tell his feelings were just what he needed after being with "friends" who could never notice how uncomfortable their behaviour made him. Letting himself be obvious, around someone who wouldn't judge him for it, was good for him.  
When there's still a few chugs to go before the whole drink is down, he's starting to feel urgent, and pouring it down feels like waiting for a timeglass to finish running. So he decides to just leave it. It's better to leave the drink undrunk before he finds another way to postpone approaching the man with the moves.

It's so awkward interrupting him middance (but then again he probably never stops dancing, so it's the only way John think he'll ever get to join in) but still in some way once he pauses the dancing, the man feels more approachable.  
Still, John is a little embarrased the first thing he says to this guy is "I can't dance."  
The guy have never seen John dance so he doesn't know how to respond. Can't conclude with that without proof.  
"Still, I really wanna dance with you. Would you mind?" The man smiles. "I'd prefer that to talking." He says kinda awkwardly.  
And it doesn't really sound like he doesn't want to talk to him, but that dancing is his preferred way of communication.  
Totally opposite from John, but he's willing to give it a try anyway.

 

John very obviously does not know what to do. He just looks down at his body that isn't moving and apologizes. Sherlock smiles (like he relates or something) and reaches out a hand, implying that he'll lead him. John takes his hand, ready to follow.


	2. i'd rather dance than talk with you

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sherlock's POV aligned to the right! (format-wise, that is)

In the beginning there isn't much eyecontact. Which John doesn't really think about, as it just comes natural that they're looking at their movements while they're trying to coordinate their moves. It takes concentration(at least for John), and the focus on it feels like a safe space.  
Eventually John starts realizing he's having fun dancing?? And much to his relief, so does Sherlock seem to(he's not exactly smiling, but there's still just something about how he's moving that makes him look happy), even though he's dancing with John and not someone who knows how to.  
Even though the moves are unfamiliar for John, Sherlock helps him with the timing, and when they move in sync like this he feels less like an idiot.  
Looking at Sherlock(mostly just to follow his moves, though the purple glittered shirt is SO FLATTERING on this guy it should be a crime.) makes him forget the club is full of people, and the anxiety of being visible on the dancefloor is less present than the man who is stealing the precense of everything and everyone else in this room. (He's honestly kinda forgot he didn't come here alone for a little bit; not that his friend would mind, tho.)  
At the point John actually notices the lack of eyecontact is when Sherlock is trying to sneak glances at him, but looks away every time he looks back. Like he wants to look, but his eye won't stay still.  
But fair enough, if that's a dance that needs the right timing as well, John doesn't mind if Sherlock leads the way for that either.  
It's not like looking elsewhere on Sherlock is unpleasant either.

Eventually Sherlock leans to his ears and with a deep but still trembling nervous voice "You didn't tell me your name already did you?", and John realizes that he technically shouldn't know Sherlocks name(he's just lucky that his friend is a selfacclaimed cupid who already told him).  
"It's John Watson." Just before he has any time to start worrying that the music was too loud for his soft introduction to be heard, Sherlock echoes it a few times, like he's taking note of it. After the third echo it's like he remembers that this is where he's supposed to introduce himself "I'm Sherlock Holmes."  
And luckily John doesn't answer with "I know", since he honestly only knew his first name before the introduction.

After the short conversation, Sherlock tries a little harder to keep the eyecontact. It still seems difficult, but it's like he's forcing it to not seem uninterested. John doesn't really know what to take out of that(he doesn't know whether Sherlock is doing this because he's trying to hide that he feels uncomfortable with dancing with him, or if he really wants to connect but finds it difficult)  
But anyhow, John averts his own eyes once in a while to maybe make him a little more comfortable. It seems to be working, as Sherlock after this strategy looks at him more constantly than he was able to before. When John averts his gaze, he's still looking at Sherlock anyway.  
Which when he looks back up at Sherlock, he can tell it doesn't go unnoticed nor unappreciated.

In the beginning his eyes mostly goes to the muscles(probably dancing muscles), but John also takes notice of the sharp cheekbones, and how great his hair looks. He notices subtle eyeliner, and the glitter to accentuate the cheekbones.  
He just hopes he's not eyeing him in an unpleasant way; but it's harder to be self-aware about that with the alcohol.

* * *

 

Sherlock goes to this place every weekend, like it's on a schedule. And he knows the other regulars talks about it.  
And that they also talk about how he doesn't seem to go home with people.  
He does worry it seems like he's not interested in dating anyone, it's just... easier to seem disinterested than being rejected because your sexual attraction is less present than your romantic one. (speaking from experience) He's worried people come to these places to hook up in other senses of the word than he can promise to be into. At least in a tempo he feel expected of him.  
Maybe communicating these things would probably be easier if he wasn't autistic. There's not scripts to rely on for these things. And he relies heavily on scripts. Without them he only says what he needs to say in his own head; sometimes without realizing he doesn't actually say it out loud.  
So... he goes to clubs only to dance with guys(or just to dance in general), and he usually comes to this place because this is where he feels the most welcome.

Honestly, not only is dancing his special interest he gets into hyperfocus mode on, but it's a stim for him.  
Everything about it is so calming and satisfying. The rest of the world disappears into the music. And the language of movements is so much easier than putting the right words together.  
On the dancefloor, he amazes people; in a social scene, people tend to just read him as an asshole.  
(Most of the time he doesn't really mean to be one, but sometimes it just becomes a defensemechanism to keep people away)

So when the cute guy that came with Stan comes over to him and asks for a dance, he's happy that's what he wanted.  
This is what he is here for, after all.


	3. bodylanguage

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry i was a bit slower with this one!! writersblock and also.... the new ep kinda stole my focus

Due to demanding deadlines(he's a medstudent after all) it takes John two weeks to come back. But Stamford approaches him with good news (which he kind of needs, he feels like the test this week didn't go as well as it should have).  
"Sherlock asked for you last week." John smiles as a reflex, but also hides it behind his drink as a reflex.  
"Oh?" he's still smiling behind the glass. Stamford is smiling too, but his is more smug.

John scans the room for him with no luck. Damnit.  
As usual, it doesn't go unnoticed. "I'm sure he'll be here soon."  
"Do you want a drink meanwhile?" Stamford offers.  
John is craving the dancefloor more than a pint. Or maybe it isn't the dancefloor he is craving, technically. He just doesn't need the alcohol to get the courage to get out there this time.  
But since he needs to kill time until his dancepartner arrives, he lets Stan buy him a drink without the buzz.

  
He gets kind of lost in conversation with Stan and the bartender when there is a tap on his shoulder.  
And the tall man in front of him doesn't really have to say anything for John to know what it's about. It's Sherlock, holding out a hand out like last time, as his way to ask him out on the floor.  
John hands Stan the glass and takes the hand in front of him.  
As Sherlock and John are already making they're way across the floor to find a nice spot, Stan hands the drink over to the bartender.  
"I don't think he'll be back for this, Mycroft." The bartender agrees.

  


Last week, he'd wanted to dance with him again, but Stamford had come alone.  
He'd had fun last week too, but he is definitely relieved when he sees who's sitting next him at the bar.  
It's a little awkward to approach him there since his brother is bartending tonight. And not only that, they're in a conversation.  
Which makes him kind of anxious.( Sherlock does not trust his brother to not use his interest for this guy against him. He means well, but he keeps making him feel guilty when he develops a special interest in something or someone. He just doesn't get that Sherlock having turned into someone who holds back when he by nature is not, is more damaging than the risk of being turned down.)

So he steals John from there as quickly as possible.  
Just in case.

  


Even if the dancing is enough for him,  
addictive even  
(and he's uncertain if it's the dancing itself  
or the precence of the partner that is giving him a high.)  
he's getting curious about this man.  
Wanting to learn something about him without hearing it from Stan.  
But he doesn't want to push, in case it pushes him away.

  
  


There's something on John's mind.  
Sherlock can tell, because his focus is flickering.  
Is he getting bored? He does seem to be looking less at Sherlock,  
but last time he did that intentionally.  
Sherlock decides to try the eyecontact thing a little.  
Which is terrifying, there's too much to read in peoples eyes, and it's incredibly overwhelming.  
(most of the time, he can't even control that he's looking away, it just happens as a reflex)  
But he knows he's more able to handle that than trying to formulate something.  
Or rather; to formulate the right thing.  
(His words often sound colder than their intent is, though Sherlock often finds himself being cold with intent too, as a defensemechanism.)

  
Because John doesn't look back at him naturally, he reaches a hand close to his face,  
like he's trying to lead the dance there too.  
He doesn't actually have to physically lead John to look at him once he's gained his attention, but he still ends up letting his hand brush his face (like his hand just slips for a second)  
Even though this _is_  intense, like anticipated,  
but there's also something comforting within them.  
But... his disability is in every fiber of him,  
and even if he wants to look into  
not even a handsome man can change how his body naturally reacts.  
So he looks away.

His eyes drift around, but land on John's lips.  
This time he doesn't have to reach out and lead John for him to know what their next move is. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> just about the whole "his disability is in every fiber of him" line;   
> i am myself autistic, and for me this is true to myself.   
> (besides; the idea that one is "more than ones disability", feels ableist to me, because me filled with autism in every fiber is already enough of a person)
> 
> what i wanted to communicate is the need i've felt as an autistic to try to please others by communicating their way.  
> (which is not healthy!! and i want sherlock in this story to eventually get past that)  
> but i'm gonna add a "internalized ableism" tag just in case it triggers anyone.


End file.
